The only area I find it weak on is that the book really doesn't go beyound the 2nd century AD. The Roman army saw massive changes after that which this book doesn't cover but an excellent book all the same.

Good starting pointing - Peter Connolly - Greece and Rome at War. Coffee table format but a massive wealth of information not just on the Roman army but the impact of the peoples they came into contact with.

It was out of print for a while but I think you can get it again.

In short the Romans were a bunch of military kleptomanics. They copied ideas and technology very heavily from the peoples they came into contact with.

I could get really boring at this stage and explain about the impact of Celtic weaponary, armour and tactics on the development of the Roman Army. (I did my dissertation on this - which is why this guy gets right up my nose).

To put himself through school, he worked for two years as a Recreational Therapist at a Psychiatric Facility where his martial arts skills were put to the test daily. Few martial artists get this kind of authentic training and experience; no ring, no referee, no protective gear, non-consensual combat without rules.

Teaching people with mental illnesses how to tango and weave baskets is the best no holds barred combat experience out there.

Also, by looking at this facebook page I've discovered that there's a 'Pagan Martial Arts Council' group on facebook. Who wants to join?